


Dog Star

by Domoda



Series: Julie and the Werewolves [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/M, Gen, M/M, werewolves au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27024652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Domoda/pseuds/Domoda
Summary: Julie heard a thump, and a muffled noise like an animal in pain.She set down the glass of water she’d been holding and approached the black windows. It was approaching three in the morning, and she had only turned on the lights she needed. The cold, empty kitchen felt oddly hostile.There, again—a sharp, high animal grunt, cut off immediately.--orJulie and The Werewolves
Relationships: Alex & Flynn & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Flynn, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: Julie and the Werewolves [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2011615
Comments: 38
Kudos: 342





	Dog Star

Julie heard a thump, and a muffled noise like an animal in pain.

She set down the glass of water she’d been holding and approached the black windows. It was approaching three in the morning, and she had only turned on the lights she needed. The cold, empty kitchen felt oddly hostile.

There, again—a sharp, high animal grunt, cut off immediately.

Part of her thought she should just go back to sleep. She didn’t want to get involved in some crazy midnight racoon fight. But, at the same time, she’d never hear the end of it from Flynn if she let some stray cat die right in her yard.

Julie couldn’t see anything through the windows, but the noise was coming from the studio outside. She picked up a poker, and turned on the torch on her phone, tucking it into her front pocket so a meter in front of her was easily visible. Very, very carefully, she opened the front door, keeping her hand on the handle. If it was something scary, she could slam the door shut immediately.

Julie reached to one side and flipped the porch light on.

Light flooded into the front yard. Bright light dazzled Julie’s eyes for a moment, but the creatures in the yard never stopped moving, wrapped around each other. It was some kind of humongous dog, with a dark muzzle and huge teeth, a black snake wrapped around its chest.

At first, Julie thought the dog was trying to kill the snake—the animal kept stamping and turning, swinging its snout through the cold air—but the snake was wrapped as tight as vice around the dog’s body, parting the thick fur. And then, as the dog rolled over in a fruitless attempt to crush it, Julie saw the snake’s scarlet jaw was closed around the animal’s ruff.

Blood flicked onto the ground from the dog’s thick pelt. Dust clouded the air.

Despite the size of the dog, despite Julie’s usual love for snakes, she felt a desperation. She wanted to run over, never mind the teeth and claws of the huge animal and rip the snake from its side. She wanted to stamp on it.

“Hey!” Julie cried.

The dog shuddered, and tried to stand still, but the snake twisted even tighter around it. The animal’s legs faltered, sagging slightly. It dropped to one side, trying to squeeze the snake. Its legs shivered with exhaustion. This had clearly been a long fight.

“Crap,” Julie frowned to herself. She couldn’t exactly hit the snake with a poker until it changed its mind.

Julie dropped the poker and darted around the side of the house. She snatched the head of the hose and unwound it quickly, pulling it out.

An icy stream of water slammed into the side of the dog, and the animal’s legs buckled. It hit the earth with a dull thump, water splattering in a great white arc above it.

Julie shut off the water hurriedly, dropping the hose. The snake was freed and rose above the prone form of the animal, in a crowbar hook. It let out a hot, angry hiss. This close, Julie could see it wasn’t quite black, but a deep, sleek green, wet scales gleaming gorgeously.

“Get out of here!” Julie swung the poker at the snake and managed to hit it square on. She smacked it again, and again.

The snake rose, and bared its bloody needle-thin teeth, but slithered from the dog’s dark side. Julie watched it disappear into the black of the night, heart thumping wildly. Then she looked down at the bloody animal at her feet.

The dog huffed, each breath a struggle. Its jaw was limp and open, teeth caked in wet mud. Julie was reluctant to touch the animal. In pain, it might turn and bite.

Anxiety spiked in her chest and she yanked her phone out, shooting off a quick text to Flynn. Flynn loved animals—she might know what to do. Should she call animal control? But… Julie swallowed thickly. The animal was badly injured. Stray dogs were euthanised in LA as it was—she didn’t want to call the animal’s executioners.

While she had been thinking, the canine has struggled to a painful sitting position. Its black lips were drawn back to reveal truly impressive fangs.

It wasn’t smiling at her.

Julie knew canines didn’t smile. That was just her human brain interpreting panting and appeasement behaviour as smiling, in the same way skulls seem to grin. She ran a hand over her hair.

The canine bowed its head, yawning gently, triangular ears flicking back. More appeasement behaviour. Julie’s heart was soft.

“Alright, alright,” Julie said, not sure why she kept talking to animals tonight, “Well, you can’t stay out here, let’s go inside, buddy. You can stay in the studio, okay? You’ll just have to be quiet.”

The canine bobbed its head. Smart dog. Julie straightened up. She darted ahead and opened the studio doors, flicking the light on. The canine struggled, paws carving deep trenches in the wet mud.

“Oh,” Julie said. The snake bites must be affecting them more than she’d assumed. She hovered between the canine and the studio doors, and turned the torch off on her phone. “I can help you up—uh, but you’ve got to promise not to bite me, buddy.”

The canine bobbed its head again.

That wasn’t a nod. Julie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, before she opened them again and approached the canine, who kept its head low and its mouth closed. She crouched and wrapped her arms around the animal’s very broad chest, heaving up wards. At the same time, the canine scrambled in the mud.

Together, they got the animal to its feet. It wobbled slightly. Julie stayed for a moment to make sure the animal wouldn’t collapse again, then she darted ahead and began to collect things to make a temporary animal bed. Getting the canine onto the sofa would be too difficult, but she pulled the sofa cushion off and tossed it onto the cement floor, along with a handful of thick blankets.

As she worked, the canine limped inside, tail wagging tiredly.

“Here, buddy,” Julie finished the nest and stepped clear so the animal could flop down on it. “I’m going to go back to bed now, but—” Julie cut herself off, thinking hard.

The canine stared up at her, tail wagging.

The first thing Julie had to admit to herself: That wasn’t a dog. Maybe, when she first saw the animal, she could be forgiven for mistaking it for a dog. It was dark. Wolves weren’t exactly common in Los Angeles. But in the harsh studio lights, with the animal right in front of her, she couldn’t really deny it. He was nearly seven feet from nose to tail tip.

Julie rubbed her eyes, “Should I dress your wounds?”

The wolf opened his mouth, drawing his black lips into a sloppy grin.

“Is that a yes?” Julie sighed, “I don’t know why I keep talking to you, buddy.”

The wolf let out a little whine and went back to grinning.

“If you really, really promise not to bite me,” Julie pointed at the huge animal, “Really, really promise buddy, even if it feels like I’m hurting you, you have to promise not even to nip me, alright?”

The wolf nodded quickly. He yapped.

“Alright,” Julie said. It was still the middle of the night, after all. She might as well go along with the dream. She drew the studio doors closed and flipped off the lights.

An unhappy whine reached her ears.

“Oh, sorry,” Julie turned the lights back on and was rewarded by the steady thump of the canine’s tail.

Julie returned a few moments later with the medical box from the bathroom cabinet. She closed the studio doors and knelt next to the wolf’s side. The fur was wet and at least an inch thick. She could sink her whole hand into it.

“I can’t sew you up, but I can probably stop you bleeding everywhere,” Julie found the snake bite when the wolf flinched at her touch. She pressed a thick pad of gauze onto the bite and wrapped a bandage around it, pulling it taut. Julie didn’t find it easy, not least because the wolf was just so huge, but she managed to make a bandage that was at least passable.

The wolf’s triangular ears perked up when she was done, his big yellow eyes fixed her with a look of giddy gratefulness. Julie scrubbed a hand in the animal’s thick ruff. She figured wolves, like horses, preferred a relatively heavy hand to light petting. The wolf’s tail wagged.

“Thanks for not biting me, buddy.” Julie said.

The wolf just grinned at her.

The early hour was starting to get to her. Her eyes were itchy with fatigue. Julie yawned, and the wolf yawned back at her.

“You’ll probably get cold,” Julie said, retrieving an electric blanket from the shelves, “This is an electric blanket, it’s something that will keep you warm and…”

The wolf stared back at her.

“Well, I guess if you really can understand me, then you’ll probably also know what an electric blanket is,” Julie dragged the extension cable across the floor so she could plug the blanket in, “Unless you’ve lived in the woods all you life. Have you?”

The wolf shook his great head.

“Well, do you live in the woods now? Where do you live?”

The wolf closed his mouth and tilted his head to one side.

“I guess that’s not a yes-no question,” Julie felt a little spaced out. She let the electric blanket fall over the side of the wolf and pulled out a Tupperware box she had brought out from the kitchen. “Here. We don’t have a dog so I couldn’t find any kibble, and we don’t eat a lot of meat, but wolves can eat pasta, can’t they? Or is that only dogs?”

The wolf watched the mac and cheese with an expression of pure canine adoration, so she opened the Tupperware and set it on the cement. She filled the lid of the Tupperware with bottled water and set that next to it.

As soon as she stepped back, the wolf fell on the food. He demolished the leftovers in barely a second and began to lap up the water.

“Right, you’re a wolf,” Julie scratched her chin. “You probably eat a lot. I’ll give you some more in the morning.”

The wolf huffed, licking his black lips. He looked cute under the blankets and pillows, like a ginormous puppy. She grinned at him, picking up the empty Tupperware tray. It was cold in the studio, and Julie rubbed her arms. She had school in roughly… five hours.

“Well, I’m going to bed,” Julie straightened up, “Nobody comes in here, but if they do, you can hide, right? You’re super smart.”

The wolf nodded.

Julie drew the door shut, but just before she closed it, she looked back at him. The wolf peeked out from under the blankets. “Don’t worry,” Julie assured him, “The studio is totally snake-proof.” The wolf smiled at her.

*

There was a click of a locker closing.

“You’re so cruel, Jules,” Flynn said sourly, because after ten years, Hello seemed a stale way to greet someone. Julie finished taking books from her locker and turned to her friend. Flynn folded her arms. “You really messaged me about a cute, hurt animal and turned your phone off?”

Julie closed her locker, arms full of books, “I didn’t turn my phone off. I just… didn’t look at your messages.”

“That’s better?” Flynn stared at her.

Julie grinned sheepishly.

“Come on, Jules,” Flynn tugged on the corner of Julie’s jacket, “Spill the beans. You owe me…”

“I stopped messaging you because I wanted to tell you in person,” Julie fixed her friend with a serious look. “Can you keep a secret?”

Flynn frowned at her, “What’s this about?”

“Come on, Flynn,” Julie said. “This is serious. You can’t freak out.”

“Of course, I can keep a secret,” Flynn said.

“Well… it’s not a dog,” Julie said. “It’s a wolf.”

Flynn’s dark eyes grew wide, “A WO—”

Julie slapped a hand over her mouth. Flynn pulled away.

“A wolf!” Flynn hissed. “Are you sure?”

“He’s huge,” Julie said. “Way bigger than any dog I’ve ever seen. I looked up pictures on my phone, and I’m pretty sure he’s a grey wolf.”

Flynn grabbed her, “I love wolves! Is he still there?”

“Probably,” Julie said. “Unless my dad has found him—but my dad would call me after animal control. He’s super tame. I think someone must have trained him.”

“This is crazy,” Flynn tugged on her dark braids, turning around, “I have to go see him.”

Julie frowned, “Not right now.”

“What do you mean, not right now?” Flynn stared at her.

“Well…” Julie glanced around the school hallway, which was already emptying of students, “I have an English test. And you’ve got statistics.”

“You’re such a square,” Flynn sighed. “Alright, we can go right after class.”

“Not right after,” Julie said. “We should go and buy some raw meat for him.”

Flynn grinned at her, already heading to class, “Good idea, Jules. See ya!”

*

By afternoon, it was raining. The sky was a soft yellow and the air was heavy with humidity. Flynn was nearly vibrating with excitement as the two of them walked to Julie’s house, shopping bags heavy with raw meat. Flynn had bought chicken mini-fillets and Julie had bought a heavy piece of cured ham.

“Let me go first,” Julie said. “I told him to hide.”

Flynn frowned at her but let her open the studio door and slip inside. The studio lights were still on, which was a good sign. She pushed her coat hood back and looked around. There was a suspicious pile of blankets and cushions in one corner of the room.

“Buddy?” Julie called. “It’s me, Julie. Or—I don’t think you know my name yet, but hi. I’m Julie. I’ve brought my friend. It’s alright to come out now. We’ve got some meat for you.”

At the mention of meat, the wolf’s head popped out from under the blankets, panting.

“Come in, Flynn,” Julie called.

Flynn came into the studio, closing and locking the door behind her. “This is so—” She froze. Her body was tense.

The wolf watched the two of them. The animal was huge and mostly pale, with white legs and blond fur along its flanks, spine and sides brushed with black as if coal dust had fallen on his thick fur. The backs of his perked, triangular ears were a chocolate brown. Black lined his white teeth and yellow eyes.

“That’s a wolf.” Flynn said.

“Yeah,” Julie said.

“Honestly, I… thought you were joking,” Flynn’s voice shook a little. “People misidentify dogs as wolves all the time. This isn’t safe.”

“Of course it’s safe,” Julie straightened up, “I wouldn’t have brought you here if—”

“I should call someone,” Flynn said, backing away, “Like, animal control, or—”

“Flynn, please,” Julie caught her friend’s shoulders, “He wouldn’t hurt anyone. Look at him, look at his body language.”

Flynn looked at the wolf, over Julie’s shoulder. The wolf’s tail wagged encouragingly.

“You’re crazy,” Flynn said, looking back at Julie. “He’s a wild animal. His behaviour can be really unpredictable. What if he hurts you, or your dad? What if he bites Carlos?”

“He won’t,” Julie said.

Flynn’s eyes were hard, “You can’t know that.”

“Well…” Julie grimaced. Another thing she finally had to admit to herself: “He’s not a normal wolf.”

“Not normal…?” Flynn repeated.

“He’s too smart,” Julie turned so she could look at both Flynn and the wolf at the same time. “Not just trained. Ask him a yes or no question.”

“This is too weird,” Flynn muttered to herself, then cleared her throat, fixing the wolf with a stern look. “Well, Mister Wolf… Uh, do you like the rain?”

The wolf nodded.

“Really?” Julie asked, and the wolf nodded again. “Doesn’t it suck to get wet?”

“He wouldn’t get wet because of the long, stiff hairs of the outer coat, known as guard hairs—he would only feel it if it reached his undercoat,” Flynn said, as if it was common knowledge.

Julie raised an eyebrow, “Right.”

“Do you like it in this studio?” Flynn asked, and the wolf nodded. “Do you like Julie?” Another nod.

“Oh, I like you too, buddy,” Julie smiled, and the wolf smiled back.

“You’re nodding too much,” Flynn folded her arms, “Shake you head.”

The wolf shook his head.

“Blink,” Flynn said, and the wolf complied. “Now wink your left eye! Your other left! Now raise your right paw.”

The wolf complied.

“This is too weird!” Flynn said, “Dogs can’t do this. Wolves are smart, but there’s no way they can understand English.”

Julie put her hands in her pockets, regarding the friendly wolf evenly.

“What are you thinking?” Flynn asked. “Are the two of us just delusional, or is it a crazy science experiment? Magical curse? Alien?”

Julie tilted her head, “Werewolf.”

The wolf grinned and nodded.

“Wow, I guess that makes as much sense as anything,” Flynn said, pressing a hand to her eyes. “This has me feeling like Remy Ratatouille.”

“You mean Linguine. Remy was the rat,” Julie straightened up. “And Ratatouille was the name of the movie, not Remy’s surname.”

The wolf paused. He tilted his head slightly.

“What does that mean, wolf whisperer?” Flynn asked her.

“I think he’s confused?” Julie said, and at his nod she continued, “Maybe he’s not seen Ratatouille?”

“Have you seen Ratatouille?” Flynn asked the animal, and at his nod she gasped, “That’s tragic. You should see Ratatouille, even if you’re a crazy hermit werewolf.”

Julie nodded, “Anyone can coo-ook.”

“I have Disney-plus,” Flynn pulled her phone out, “We can watch the movie on the studio TV and you can eat this raw meat we brought you.”

The wolf’s black lips drew back in a smile.

*

Days later, Julie crept into the studio again. The sky was a deep black, the moon hanging like a yellow pearl behind the thin clouds. Julie was wearing a thick cardigan and a fur scarf which tickled her cheeks. The inside of the studio was cold and still, the harsh yellow lighting still bearing down on them.

“You up, buddy?” Julie murmured, her voice barely audible over the road noise which still roared, muffled, behind the studio’s southside. She carried a cup of tea and a plastic bag of dog treats.

The wolf was stretched out across the cement, in one magnificent curve. His body was truly impressive, perfectly formed, inch-thick fur covering a lean, sleek hunting animal. He drew his ears back and glanced up at her, his eyes bright yellow circles in the darkness of his snout.

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?” Julie asked. She glanced up at the dark sky outside the studio window. “It is the full moon after all.”

The wolf huffed.

Julie pulled one of his blankets straighter, so she could sit down next to him, careful not to spill any tea. She showed him the package she’d brought. “They’re dog treats. I hope that’s not demeaning—the store didn’t have any wolf treats.”

The wolf drew his lips back in a toothy grin.

Julie opened the package, and the wolf stuck his nose inside, snuffling up a mouthful of treats. He tossed his head back and she heard the sharp crack of him snapping the hard treats between his huge teeth. Wolves had a jaw strength of 1200 PSI, Flynn had told her. They could snap right through her leg in one bite. Julie drew her hand back.

“I didn’t want you to get lonely out here,” Julie said. The wolf sniffed her tea, and she put a hand on his wet nose, “No, that’s mine.” The wolf went back to his treats.

Cars passed outside, the noise rolling over the silence in waves. In Los Angeles, the light pollution was so bad that they were lucky to ever see a couple stars. The few that struggled through the city’s brilliance were the strongest of them—the North star and the Dog Star. It was an unnatural place for any wild animal, let alone a wolf.

“Can I ask you a question?” Julie rested on her knee.

The wolf turned his head. He gave a nod.

“Do you have a name?” Julie asked.

The wolf tipped his head slightly, surprised. He nodded quickly.

“Oh, good. I’ve been calling you Buddy in my head, but if you’re really a werewolf, I want to know your name,” Julie straightened up. “Stop me when I get to the first letter of your name: A, B, C…”

The wolf stopped her at L. Then at U. Then K, E.

“Luke,” Julie smiled at him. “I was worried you’d have a long-ass name like Constantine, and we’d be here all night.”

The wolf rested his chin on Julie’s knee. She leaned back, watching the sky, the hanging moon. If it was a full moon, why wasn’t he changing? It was probably due to his injury. Despite the fact she definitely knew he wasn’t a dog, she scratched behind his pointed ears.

Luke’s tail wagged tiredly.

Julie took a sip of her tea, “Can I ask another question?”

Luke nodded again.

“I’m sorry, it’s delicate,” Julie bit her lip. “If you’re a werewolf… do you have a pack?”

Luke’s tail stopped wagging and settled on the cold cement. He drew his head back slightly and tilted it.

“You don’t know,” Julie murmured. She hesitated, and stretched a handout, burying it in the thick fur at Luke’s neck.

Luke sighed, and leaned heavily against her.

Julie looked down at the great animal and bit her lip. Her heart hurt for him. Where would she be without Carlos and her dad and Flynn—her veritable pack? Here was Luke, wounded and all alone in a stranger’s garage, perhaps even the last of his kind. She lay down so she could wrap an arm around his middle, careful of his snake bite, her head on his ruff. Luke huffed and pressed his snout into her dark hair.

“When I was really sad,” Julie said into his fur, “My mother used to sing to me. Would you like that?”

Luke couldn’t nod with his nose in her hair, but his tail gave two thumps.

Julie breathed in the dusty smell of his fur. It was hard to sing lying down, but she began to hum, to get herself into the motion of the song, the rolling melody. “ _Hold me close and hold me fast / The magic spell you cast / This is ‘La vie en rose’…_ ”

Luke closed his yellow eyes.

“ _When you kiss me, heaven sighs_ ,” Julie lifted her head so she wasn’t muffled by the fur, the song drawing from deep within her, “ _And though I close my eyes / I see ‘La vie en rose’._ ”

Water dotted from a dripping tap somewhere in the cold building, like an uneven metronome. She was waiting too long between verses, losing the flow of it. She swayed with the unheard accompaniment.

“ _When you press me to your heart / I'm in a world apart, a world where roses bloom_ ,” Julie rose higher, letting air fill her lung completely, “ _And when you speak, angels sing from above / Everyday words seem to turn into love songs!”_

“ _And life will always be!”_ Julie found herself smiling, _“’La vie en rose’!”_

Luke was still for a moment, but when he realised she’d finished, he lifted his head.

“That would be where the trumpet solo would go,” Julie said. “If I had one.”

Luke sniffed.

“Do you play the trumpet, when you’re human?” Julie asked.

Luke shook his head, but there was an agitation to him which suggested he had more to say. Julie figured it must be pretty frustrating to be unable to speak.

“Any other instrument?” Julie asked.

The wolf nodded quickly and turned his nose to stare across the room.

Julie followed his gaze, “The guitar?”

The wolf drew back his lips in a grin, his tongue lolling out.

“Well, nobody’s using the stuff in here,” Julie said. “I only play piano. When you get better, you could take it off our hands.”

The wolf yapped so suddenly it startled her. His tail wagged excitedly.

Julie grinned, “You’re welcome. I hate to see you gloomy.”

Luke licked her face.

“Eww!” Julie drew back, laughing, “That’s gross, Luke.”

Luke grinned and rolled onto his back, paws in the air.

Julie watched him for a long moment, then glanced at the floor. “I forgot how fun singing was. Do you mind if I sing another one?”

Luke lunged towards her, as if he was going to lick her again, but Julie pushed his snout away, “Okay, message received. You don’t have to get slobber all over me.”

Standing, Luke looked still a little unsteady. His front paws shook a little under his own weight, but he didn’t seem in pain. He turned a few times over his nest and flopped down, waiting expectantly for her to begin. His tail wagged.

“Alright, alright,” Julie stretched, “How about another Louis Armstrong one? Those always cheer me up.”

Luke rested his chin on his paws, eyes flicking over her face. She began to hum.

“ _Stars shining bright above you…_ ” Julie started, swinging from side to side a little as she sung, “ _Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’. Birds singing in the sycamore tree…_ ”

Luke closed his eyes. Julie had the impression that, if he had been a Werecat instead of a werewolf, he would be purring.

“ _Dream a little dream of me…_ ”

*

The harsh sunlight burned in his eyes. Reggie had been awake all night, prowling the city streets and sniffing just about everything in God’s green earth, and morning hurt his body. After he padded, exhausted, through the ground-floor window, he shifted back into human form and flopped onto the scratchy carpet.

“Nothing?” Alex asked, leaning against the door frame. The motel carpet was thick with shed fur, which would mean another big cleaning bill when they eventually left—which didn’t seem any time soon.

“Not a whiff,” Reggie said. He pulled some pants towards himself and dragged them on. “I could smell his… blood, in the park and in some of the streets. But he must have been running all over town after Covington latched on to him.”

Alex’s face was wan, his features drawn.

“Alex…” Reggie sighed, “This isn’t your fault.”

“Well, it kind of is, though,” Alex said, wrapping his arms around himself. “If I hadn’t insisted we come back to LA—”

“Hey, we all agreed,” Reggie pulled himself to his feet.

Alex was tense all over. Reggie approached him like he was approaching a flighty animal. He laid his hands on his friend’s elbows, and when he didn’t pull away, Reggie wrapped his arms around him. Alex sunk into the embrace.

“Any news from Willie?” Reggie asked.

Alex rested his head on Reggie’s shoulder, “He’s looking. But the shifter community’s all over the place.”

Reggie held him tightly, resting his head temple to temple with Alex, “Look at it this way, if we got out, then so can Luke. It’s as simple as that.”

Alex sighed. What was left out was they got out—but Alex was the only one what was bitten. And by Covington, of all the snakes in the world.

Reggie pulled back, cupping Alex’s cheeks, “If anyone can sniff it out, it’s you. You’ve got the best nose of any of us, puppyboy.”

Said incredible nose was running a little, and Alex sniffed. His eyes were wet with tears, but he managed a smile, “Yeah, alright.”

*

“Good Evening, Wolfboy!” Flynn threw the studio doors open. “It is I, Flynn!”

Luke poked his nose out of the pile of blankets. After a careful sniff, he shook the blankets from his sides and stood up, stretching. His tail wagged.

Julie appeared, laden with bags, “Hey, Luke. We’ve got a surprise for you. Since my dad and my brother are out camping, we have the house free. It’ll be much warmer. My dad thinks I’m at Flynn’s party.”

Luke glanced at Flynn who grinned, his ears perked up in an unspoken question.

“You guess it,” Flynn said. “It’s actually my birthday today.”

“It means she’ll be picking all of the entertainment,” Julie rolled her eyes. “How many times are we going to be watching the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie?”

“It sounds like someone doesn’t love me most ardently,” Flynn sighed in mock-exasperation. “Besides, we can probably do stuff like this more often. I mean, we could say he’s Malamute, the Alaskan breed.”

“Nobody’s going to believe that.”

“Of course they will,” Flynn said, “Nobody sees them down here anyways.”

Luke padded up to them, sniffing the air.

“Are you checking for evil government scientists?” Flynn asked. Her freshly braided hair was tied with pink ribbons and her braid fell in one heavy, swinging tail. Brand-new earrings glinted under the curtain of her hair.

“Werewolf,” Julie corrected, opening her front door, “He’s not a messed-up science experiment, he’s a werewolf.”

Luke padded between them, claws clicking on the hallway floor. Even outside of the studio, his size was impressive—he could eat something from the counter-top without even lifting his neck. Julie closed the front door behind them.

“I just think it’s more likely that the US government is doing some sort of bizarre experiment and lost track of it, rather than a European mythical creature has been real this whole time, and also in California of all places,” Flynn folded her arms. “Besides, it’s not like it couldn’t be both.”

Luke shot her a very flat look.

“Sorry,” Flynn said, embarrassed. “Sorry, that was pretty rude of me. I guess its just a lot to take in… it’s still weird to think about.”

Luke nodded, and yawned.

“If it’s any consolation I was team Jacob,” Flynn said.

Julie laughed, “I’m sure that fills him with warmth.”

“We should watch something werewolf-themed,” Flynn said. “I think that’s the theme of the moment.”

Luke raised one ear, glancing between them. The three of them padded into the living room, and Luke stretched out on the sofa, careful to avoid scratching up the leather with his impressive claws.

“What do you think, Jules?” Flynn asked, “ _Teen Wolf_? Movie or TV Show?”

“I only watched the TV show, but I liked it,” Julie pulled sweets and drinks from her shopping bags. “Luke, can you eat normal food?”

Luke nodded.

“Good, I bought some dog-safe chocolate just in case,” Julie said. She opened a big bag of popcorn and poured it into a large sharing bowl. Luke snapped up a couple piece of caramel popcorn.

“What about _Shadow Hunters?”_ Flynn asked. “There’s a werewolf in that, and he’s called Luke too.”

Julie thought for a moment, “I’m not so sure about that show. I don’t think it’s as charming as _Teen Wolf._ And _Shadow Hunters_ hasn’t got Dylan O’Brien.”

“I wanted to avoid woe-is-me werewolves,” Flynn said.

“That’s a staple of the genre.”

“True,” Flynn fished for the remote under the piles of candy and switched the television on. “ _Teen Wolf_ it is.”

*

After four episodes of _Teen Wolf_ , interspersed with Flynn interrogating Luke on what True Werewolf Behaviour was, followed by the _Addams Family_ movie and finally _Pride & Prejudice_ (2005), Flynn had to call it a night and return home. She left the Molina household in a whirlwind of empty packages and plastic bottles.

Julie, who was comfortable, stayed in the living room and watched a few random episodes of shows she’d seen before. It was getting closer to winter, and it felt rude to turf Luke out into the cold of the night. He made good company anyway, quiet but comfortable, leaning his chin on her lap.

In the middle of an episode of _Gilmore Girls_ , Luke bolted upright and jumped off the sofa. His whole body shuddered.

Julie paused and straightened up, “Luke? What’s wrong?”

Luke let out a low huff, followed by a growl. He sunk his teeth into a blanket which he dragged from the sofa. He let out a noise like a cough. His body twitched. With a great effort, he dragged the blanket over his spasming body.

Julie could hear blood rushing in her ears.

The blanket twitched and the body under it sunk to the floor. A low, whistling whine reached her ears—and pale, naked arm breached the blankets.

“Luke?” Julie stood up, approaching the blanket.

“Julie,” Luke said, straightening up. His voice wasn’t like she’d expected—it was a deep, dry baritone. His hair was dark and soft and curled gently just above his ears. “Hey.”

“Wow,” Julie looked down at him, “So you’re really a Werewolf?”

“Yeah,” Luke’s face split into a grin. Without fur, the bite on the back of his neck was a lurid pink, still not fully healed. And, as he arranged the blankets, she realised—he was totally naked. Her eyes snapped back to his face.

Luke brushed his hair away from his eyes, “Look, Julie. My healing is much faster in my wolf form, so I’ll have to shift back sometime soon, but before I go, there’s something I… can you come closer?”

Julie knelt down in front of him.

Luke reached forward and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Julie was surprised. Not by the hug itself, or how strong he was, or the snake bite looked red and painful on his back. But by just how warm he was. It was like hugging a space heater, warmth rolled off him in waves. She wrapped her arms around him.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Luke said. “You saved my life. And I know I’m missing my pack like crazy, and I’ve got a million things to worry about but… I feel like I’m safe with you. I trust you. That’s… pretty rare, when you live a life like mine.”

Julie opened her mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say. She had the odd urge to cry. She hugged him tightly.

“I can’t think of a way to repay you,” Luke said. “If there’s anything you want, let me know.”

“You first,” Julie said. “I know you can’t like eating any random dog food I can get for you.”

“I can’t do that,” Luke pulled back. “It would be rude to be picky when you’re feeding me for free.”

“No way!” Julie exclaimed. “I want you to be able to choose at least one meal you’d like. Come on, it can be something small. I’ll go get it tonight. What’s your favourite snack? What’s your favourite food?”

Luke considered the question carefully.

*

“What about now?” Alex asked, perking up.

Dutifully, Willie turned his phone over, and refreshed his email inbox. Nothing new appeared. The two cups of coffee between them had gone completely cold at least twenty minutes ago, the sticky rim of dissolved marshmallows and sprinkles crusting inside Alex’s mug.

Alex groaned, “How long ago did I ask last?”

“Two minutes,” Willie said. The coffee shop was lit with orange hanging lights like glowing tangerines, highlighting a halo on Willie’s dark, neat hair.

Alex flopped down on the table again. Willie could smell the nervous energy rolling off him like a sour, citrusy scent.

“This isn’t useful, Alex,” Willie said, gently.

“There’s nothing else I can do,” Alex groaned. “Me and Reggie have sniffed out just about every inch of the city centre and most of the residential areas.”

“Luke wouldn’t want you tied up in knots like this,” Willie said. “We don’t know where Covington even is. With your park so disrupted, you’ll be vulnerable to him or his minions.”

Alex said nothing. Willie resisted the urge to pet Alex’s soft blonde hair.

“I’ll tell you as soon as anything comes in,” Willie said. “The very second it comes in. I’ll call even if it’s the middle of the night, even if I don’t think it’s a viable lead.”

Alex rolled his head over, “Do you promise?”

“Yeah, I promise,” Willie said. He picked a sticky sugar packet from Alex’s hair and dropped it into his empty cup.

Alex nodded, and picked himself up, running a hand through his hair. He was exhausted. “Alright. Thanks, Willie.”

“No problem,” Willie said.

Alex stooped to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead and received a broad smile in return. Willie was technically not a werewolf, he was a werecoyote, but he was very much part of their pack. Alex was reluctant to leave him, but he managed to convince himself to pass the burgundy booths and push through the front doors. The cold air hit him and made him shiver.

What was worse, was despite missing Luke like crazy, Alex couldn’t help enjoy being in Los Angeles just a little bit. He was able to hang out far more with Willie, who was otherwise tied up in shifter community business in the city. He enjoyed the convenience of it. The city had an energy about it. He just wished he could have enjoyed it with his best friends.

Now he was anxious again.

He stalked along the dark streets, a thrum of irritation buzzing inside him. Alex needed something to hold onto. He needed some part of Luke to take with him. Something he associated with the other wolf, to comfort him.

Without even making a conscious choice, he’d begun to head towards a local convenience store. Diet Coke. That was Luke’s favourite drink, and while Alex usually hated fizzy drinks, the smell of it would be nice. He might even be able to relax a little.

When the shop doors opened—he smelled Luke.

Every sense lit up. Alex went into animal mode, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. He crept into the brightly lit store, sniffing intensely.

There. A high school girl stood at the refrigeration section, her densely curled, dark hair tied back into a high ponytail. She wore a loose tracksuit and wore little silver wolf earrings at each ear. She smelled of Luke. Better, she smelled of Happy Luke.

The girl reached out and picked up a six-pack of Diet Coke.

Alex was practically vibrating in place with excitement. The shoppers around him gave him a wide berth. Alex watched intensely as the girl bought the Coke and slipped it into the reusable bag, she’d brought with her. She even passed right by Alex as she left, and Alex could be totally sure. This girl had been close to Luke in the last few hours, and probably knew where he was.

Animated by strange energy, Alex slipped out of the shop and followed her.

The girl left the edge of the city and walked into the residential area. Ever so often, she would glance back and Alex hid. She would stare behind her, frowning darkly, before she continued onwards.

It was a cold night, and dark. Alex couldn’t help but tail her closely.

He should call Reggie, but he wasn’t sure what the street he was on was called. He was pretty confident that he could recognise and follow the girl’s own scent now. But he still didn’t want to lose her, just in case.

Then, the wind blew in just the right direction, and Alex smelled a pack bond. The scent a pack bond carries is more an undertone, and difficult to determine in isolation. The girl was definitely human but smelled like pack at the same time. It didn’t make any sense at all.

“Hey,” Alex called, loping towards her, “Hey, you!”

The girl spun around, startled and frightened.

“It’s alright,” Alex grabbed her elbow, “I’m a—”

Pepper spray hit him like a baseball bat.

Alex let go of her immediately. He sagged to his knees, pain needling through his soft tissue, hot like a brand. The girl sprinted away.

*

Hot water blasted the back of Alex’s head, the jet strong enough to part his hair. Willie scrubbed through his damp locks, and squirted a handful more of no-tears baby shampoo into his hands so he could massage it into Alex’s painful, heated face.

“We need to call Reg and tell him,” Alex said, his nose running heavily.

“Don’t try to open your eyes,” Willie advised. “And we can call him in a moment. But he’ll need you to sniff the girl out for us anyway.”

“I can do that,” Alex said, making a move to stand.

“Sit back down,” Willie pushed him lightly, “You’re a mess. This girl might be connected to Covington, and you’ll need to at least be able to see straight to outsmart him.”

“No!” Alex tried to open his eyes and swore when they stung fiercely. He let Willie sit him back down. “She didn’t smell of Covington.”

“Are you sure she’s a good person?” Willie raised an eyebrow. “She did hit you with a face-full of pepper spray.”

“Well, I, uh…”

Willie frowned, “What?”

“Well, I sort of… chased her,” Alex grinned sheepishly.

Willie gave him a flat look that he couldn’t see, but could feel.

“I just smelled Luke and got excited,” Alex said, “but I didn’t just smell Luke—wherever he is, he’s in a good mood. And, and, the girl smelled… like Pack.”

“Tilt your head up,” Willie said, and Alex complied. Willie washed Alex’s face with the full jet of water. “Are you sure she did? And she’s human?”

“Yes, and yes,” Alex said, when the jet moved away from his face.

Willie shut off the water. The shower head dripped steadily. “Is that even possible?”

Alex pawed at his sopping wet face. “Apparently.”

“Well, one thing’s for sure,” Willie scratched his jaw, “That girl is definitely in danger from that snake Covington.”

*

Reggie believed him immediately. The pair of them crept away while Willie was arranging for backup. They couldn’t wait.

Alex pulled him down the street. The two wolf-boys half-ran half-walked as Alex followed his nose. The urge to shift into wolf form was almost overpowering, but Reggie bit down on the urge. There was a giddy energy between them, which flipped between anxious and excited between moments.

Alex led them towards a moderately sized house with a big garden.

“I can smell him,” Reggie lit up with excitement. Reggie’s nose was dull from an old injury, and the confirmation gave him a boost of electric energy.

Alex pulled him to the side of the road. Between the thick hedge, he could see a large garage building, and a nice yard. The scent of Luke filtered out from the garage.

“We have to sneak in,” Alex said, “Which form is better?”

Reggie gritted his teeth in thought. It was a difficult decision—they couldn’t exactly change their minds once it started. Wolf form was a better fighter and faster, but as a human they are infinitely more communicative. He glanced down the road.

“Human,” Reggie said. “How many people live there?”

Alex took a deep breath. He thought for a moment. “Two human males, they’re in the house right now. The girl is in the studio with Luke.”

“Alright,” Reggie said, “Let’s go.”

Alex spared another glance around the empty road, before he leaped over the fence and into the garden. Reggie was close behind.

Alex pulled the studio door open, and closed it behind Reggie. It took them a moment for their eyes to adjust, but the smell of Luke was strong and powerful.

A wolf howled. The girl nearly jumped out of her seat.

Alex and Reggie laid eyes on Luke, healthy and happy and whole, and it was almost overwhelming. They pounced towards him, shifting out of habit, slipping out of their big clothes, yapping and howling, tails wagging at twenty miles-per-hour.

Julie stood up, watching the three wolves fall over each other, yipping loudly. Luke received a lot of licks with broad, flat tongues. His tail wagged. The three animals rolled over each other, brushing so hard against each other they nearly knocked each other flat.

“Oh!” Julie exclaimed, suddenly, “You’re the guy who was chasing me yesterday! You were a werewolf? You’re Luke’s pack?”

The palest wolf yapped excitedly and rootled around for his clothes so he could shift back into human. “Hi, I’m Alex,” He said when he was reasonably dress. “You’re part of our pack now, right?” He extended his hand.

“Uh,” Julie said, and shook the shirtless boy’s hand.

“Hey, I’m Reggie,” A dark-haired boy who was actually wearing all of his clothes approached her. He was a fast dresser. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Julie said. “What’s this about a pack?”

“Help me up,” Luke croaked. He’d wrapped a blanket around himself like a toga. Reggie helped him up. “Guys, this is Julie. She’s the reason I’m still here. She fought Covington off all on her own.”

“Really?” Reggie looked stunned. “Wow.”

“Covington was the snake?” Julie frowned. “Was he like a weresnake?”

“Try a ‘weredemon’. The guy messed with a lot of evil spirits, there’s nothing good in him anymore,” Alex said.

“You’ve got a lot to explain to me,” Julie said, smiling. She touched his hand.

Alex bumped his forehead with hers, an affectionate animal, “I do.”

There was a thumping knocking behind them and Julie jumped. She dropped Luke’s hand and whirled around to see the studio door opening.

“Hey, Julie,” Her dad said, and then raised his eyebrows, “Whose dogs are those? Not ours, I hope.”

Julie glanced back to see her pack, all wolfish and innocent looking. Reggie still had his jeans attached to his hind-legs and was surreptitiously trying to pull them the rest of the way off.

“Um, they’re a friend’s, from school,” Julie said, quickly. “She just needed me to house sit for a day or two. She gave me food for them and everything, don’t worry.”

“Well, tell me next time,” Her dad said. “What breed are those, by the way?”

“Malamute?” Julie suggested. Luke licked her hand encouragingly.

“Oh, right,” Her dad nodded, “Well, dinner’s ready.”

“Thank you,” Julie said.

🐺 🐺 🐺

THE END.

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An hour ago, Carlos had crashed his drone somewhere in the garden hedge, and he still hadn’t retrieved it. He was about to give up when he spied, under the dark foliage, a different kind of prize. He reached out and retrieved a long black-green snake from the wet grass.

It was very dead.

The snake’s broad jaws were poised open, one sharp fang broken and the other as thin as a needle and oddly translucent. Its eyes were blown white and empty black. It looked like it had died shortly after being hit several times with a blunt object.

“Cool,” Carlos grinned, bobbing the dead snake around. He straightened up, “Hey, Dad! Look at this!”

**Author's Note:**

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> Thank you so much for all the comments


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